Four seasons ago, Rajon Rondo was a key member of a Los Angeles Lakers team that won the NBA championship. He played with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and the veteran point guard came off the bench to supply pace, ball-handling, facilitating and even some occasional scoring.
The Lakers recently picked up Spencer Dinwiddie from the buyout market in the hopes he will play a similar role. In two games, he has shown some promise, and many believe he has been a very solid pickup, at least so far.
Besides his individual production, Dinwiddie’s greatest value is his ability to take pressure off his teammates. Rondo told Rachel Nichols on “Bully Ball” how Dinwiddie will help in that area (h/t Lakers Nation).
Spencer Dinwiddie makes his Lakers debut tonight – is his addition enough to make LeBron James feel good about the team’s roster? On this week's Bully Ball, @RajonRondo breaks down where he thinks his former teammate stands after all the ⏳🗽👑 leading up to the deadline. pic.twitter.com/CtLm5PvGAP
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) February 13, 2024
“I think he’s OK with what he has,” Rondo said of James. “He might have expressed his unhappiness or whatever he was thinking at the time but, you know, that’s Bron. He puts pressure on his teammates and if you can’t take it, he kind of fizzles those guys out. He’s very calculated in everything he does and he’s well-aware of what’s happening within the organization. Bron not trying to carry the entire load playing over 35 plus minutes a game. I think a guy like Spencer can give Bron a little more breathing room to sit on the bench and keep his composure and gain his strength and energy back.
“I can see the lineup finishing with Spencer, Bron, AD, DLo (D’Angelo Russell) and Austin Reaves. That can be a tough lineup to switch or try to double team the way AD’s passing out of the double this year is night and day since I played with him. I think Bron will be OK with at the end of the day what happened. Whatever cards he has, he’s going to play ‘em and he’s going to play them to the best of his ability.”
James expressed some unhappiness in his usual passive-aggressive manner prior to the trade deadline. In fact, two NBA teams tried to trade for him, only to be shot down.
But James said this weekend he would like to remain a Laker past this season, while Rich Paul, his agent, said he’s committed to the Lakers.
If Dinwiddie plays well and is also retained by the team past this season, it could help James’ chances of remaining with the Purple and Gold.